Automatic pleating machine

ABSTRACT

This is an automatic pleating machine which is designed to automatically form a plurality of spaced pleats across the top of a piece of drapery or curtain material and to sew the pleats in place. A sewing machine is mounted on a stand and the automatic pleat forming device is mounted on an arm swung from beneath the stand in front of the sewing machine. A pair of jaws are pivoted to swing vertically into open position with a central tongue between them to form two separate sections. A C-shaped arm is designed to push the material into jaws on each side of the central tongue to form the pleat. A plurality of needles now swing upwardly through slots in the jaw to hold the pleat in position while the C-shaped device is removed. The jaws then close on the pleat and the entire jaw assembly moves forwardly to a point beneath the sewing machine needle. At this point the sewing machine clamp moves downwardly and clamps the pleat. The jaws are then withdrawn and opened up for the formation of another pleat. The second pleat is formed before the first pleat has been sewed by the machine. After the first pleat has been sewed the sewing machine clamp is raised and an arm comes downwardly to pull the material from beneath the needle of the sewing machine. The second pleat already completed in the jaws is then moved forwardly beneath the sewing machine clamp. This is repeated until the plurality of predetermined pleats in a predetermined spaced relation are formed on the material. The pleats are usually so arranged that the first and last pleats are approximately 3 inches from the edge of the material while the other pleats are approximately five inches apart. For this construction the apparatus is provided with an arm controlled by two cams. During the initial operation the first cam permits the arm to move downwardly to pull sufficient material to form the first pleat three inches from the edge. Thereafter during the operation of the device the second cam takes over and pulls more material for the formation of the pleat so that the pleats are now five inches apart. The various parts of the device the jaws and the pleat forming device are all operated by compressed air controlled by solenoid valves. The entire machine can then be programmed from a tape in the conventional manner.

United States Patent Firestein et al.

[ 51 May 9, 1972 [54] AUTOMATIC PLEATING MACHINE [72] Inventors: HarryFirestein, Mamaroneck, N.Y.; Karl Tyas, Ocean Grove, Mass.

[73] Assignee: Louis Hand Incorporated, Fall River,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Nov. 2, 1970 {21] Appl.No.: 86,025

Primary E.\'aminerl-l. Hampton Hunter A!t0rne \-Max Schwartz [57]ABSTRACT This is an automatic pleating machine which is designed toautomatically form a plurality of spaced pleats across the top ofa pieceof drapery or curtain material and to sew the pleats in place. A sewingmachine is mounted on a stand and the automatic pleat forming device ismounted on an arm swung from beneath the stand in front of the sewingmachine. A pair of jaws are pivoted to swing vertically into openposition with a central tongue between them to form two separatesections. A C-shaped arm is designed to push'the material into jaws oneach side of the central tongue to form the pleat. A plurality ofneedles now swing upwardly through slots in the jaw to hold the pleat inposition while the C-shaped device is removed. The jaws then close onthe pleat and the entire jaw assembly moves forwardly to a point beneaththe sewing machine needle. At this point the sewing machine clamp movesdownwardly and clamps the pleat. The jaws are then withdrawn and openedup for the formation of another pleat. The second pleat is formed beforethe first pleat has been sewed by the machine. After the first pleat hasbeen sewed the sewing machine clamp is raised and an arm comesdownwardly to pull the material from beneath the needle of the sewingmachine. The second pleat already completed in the jaws is then movedforwardly beneath the sewing machine clamp. This is repeated until theplurality of predetermined pleats in a predetermined spaced relation areformed on the material. The pleats are usually so arranged that thefirst and last pleats are approximately 3 inches from the edge of thematerial while the other pleats are approximately five inches apart. Forthis construction the apparatus is provided with an arm controlled bytwo cams. During the initial operation the first cam permits the arm tomove downwardly to pull sufficient material to form the first pleatthree inches from the edge. Thereafter during the operation of thedevice the second cam takes over and pulls more material for theformation of the pleat so that the pleats are now five inches apart. Thevarious parts of the device the jaws and the pleat forming device areall operated by compressed air controlled by solenoid valves. The entiremachine can then be programmed from a tape in the conventional manner.

35 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 91972 3.661 103 SHEET 1 OF 6 FI G. l p 22 2 \75 22 INVENTORS HARRY F IRESTEIN KARL TYAS ATTORNEYPATENTEUMAY 9 I972 3,661,103

sum 3 OF 6 2/ W F I 6.7 INVENTORS HARRY FIRESTEIN KARL TYAS ATTORNEYPATENTED 91912 3,661 103 SHIEI u 0F 6 INVENTORS HARRY FIRESTEIN KARLTYAS ATTORNEY PATENTEDMAY 9 I972 3. 66 1 1 O3 sum 5 OF 6 INVENTORS HARRYF IRESTEIN KARL TYAS AT RNEY PATENTEDMAY 9 I972 SHEET 8 OF 6 HagINVENTOR HARRY FIRESTEIN KARL TYAS 7 2;( W

ATTORNEY AUTOMATIC PLEATING MACHINE Our present invention relates to thesewing art and more particularly to a novel automatic machine forforming and sewing pleats in spaced relation on a piece of material.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a completelyautomatic device for forming a plurality of spaced pleats on a curtainor drapery and for sewing the pleats into position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device whichwill automatically form pleats at a predetermined spacing along the edgeof a piece of material and will sew the pleats into position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an automaticmachine which operates in conjunction with a standard sewing machine toform a plurality of pleats and to feed them successively beneath theneedle of the sewing machine for sewing into position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automaticmachine which will rapidly form a succession of evenly formed pleats andwill cause them to be sewed into position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatuswhich is fairly simple in construction and easy and economical tomanufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view ourinvention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosedin the detailed description following in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

FIG. I is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying our presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view similar to F IG, 1 with the material which isbeing fed shown on the device.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the pleat forming jaws.

Flg. 4 is a section taken on line 44 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation from the side opposite FIG. 2.

F IG. 6 is a top plan view showing the apparatus swung to the left.

F lg. 7 is a top plan view showing the apparatus as it is swung towardsthe right.

FIGS. 8 to 17 inclusive are fragmentary side elevational views of thesewing machine needle and clamp and the jaws illustrating the sequenceof operation of the machine.

FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic view of the compressed air and solenoid valvehookup for operating the sequence hereinabove referred to.

In the manufacture of certain types of curtains and draperies it iscustomary to provide the upper edge of the material with a stiffeningmaterial such as buckram. The stiff material is run through a devicewhich scores it to form preliminary fold lines. The pleats are usuallypositioned an equal distance apart along the edge of the material buteach pleat at each end is usually a shorter distance from the edge ofthe material. For example in a conventional construction the first pleatis three inches from the edge and each succeeding pleat is five inchesfrom the preceding pleat. When the last pleat is formed it should bethree inches from the other edge. An operator by hand forms a pleatalong the score lines places it beneath the needle of a sewing machineand proceeds to operate the sewing machine to sew the pleat in place.Now the operator forms the next pleat by hand and so on. In U.S. Pat.No. 3,331,345, issued July 18, 1967, and entitled PLEATING AT- TACHMENTFOR A SEWING MACHINE, a device has been illustrated which considerablyshortened the time necessary for forming the pleats by eliminating thepre-scoring and by forming the pleats automatically. This device enablesthe operator to pick a finished pleat from the machine and place itbeneath the needle of the sewing machine.

However, the device shown therein has the disadvantage that the operatormust individually pick up each pleat and skillfully place it beneath theneedle of the sewing machine and proceed to sew the pleat into position.The machine of the present invention has gone one step further. Thedevice of the present invention now forms the pleat and places itbeneath the needle of the sewing machine and sews it into position. Thusthe operator need only feed the material into the machine and themachine does the rest automatically. The device of the present inventioncan be preset to form the first pleat a predetermined distance from theedge and then to form the successive pleats a pre-determined distancefrom each other. The entire operation is completely automatic requiringpractically no skill on the part of the operator in forming the pleats.

Referring more in detail to the drawings illustrating our inventionFIGS. 1 to 7 inclusive illustrate the construction and assembly of themachine of the present invention. We supply a table or support 20 onwhich the sewing machine 21 is mounted. Extending downwardly frombeneath the front side edge on both ends of the table top 20 is asupporting plate 22. An elongated beam or support 23 extendshorizontally between the plates 22. Pivotally mounted on the support 23at 24 is a horizontal arm 25 in the form of a wide beam verticallypositioned to form an extremely strong support. A guide member 26extends vertically from the beam 25 and is provided with a horizontalflat upper end 27 which extends into a slot formed by a plate 28 mountedbeneath the sewing machine plate 29 in spaced relation. The portion 27slides into the space and forms an additional support and guide for thesupporting beam 25 as it swings in a horizontal position.

The sewing machine itself is of a conventional type designed to move apiece of material first in one direction and then in the other to form adouble row of stitching. Since the plate beneath the needle wouldnormally swing in an are these sewing machines are equipped with a camoperated construction which forms the stitch in a straight line.However, for the purposes of the present invention the sewing machine isalso provided with a clamping member 30 which is designed to hold I thematerial on the sewing plate 31. An additional spring wire clampingmember 32 extends just ahead of the clamping member 30 to hold thematerial in front of the sewing needle and prevent the material frombunching up and wrinkling during the sewing operation. In addition weprovide a holding member 33 having a plurality of spaced needles 34designed to extend vertically through the clamping member 30 to hold thepleat as shown in FIGS. 14,15 and 16. The needles 34 are positioned justbehind the sewing needle 35 as seen in FIG. 14.

The pleat forming and feeding portion of the device is mounted on thesupport 25 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 inclusive. A rectangular block 36 isvertically mounted at the end of the supporting arm 25. The block 36 ismounted in a plane parallel to the front of the sewing machine table 20.We now provide a wedge shaped support 37 extending at right angles fromthe top of the block 36. The top portion of the block 36 is hollow andthe wedge shaped member 37 is provided with welded holding strips, notshown, which extend into the block 36 and are held therein by the bolts38. Mounted on top of the wedge member 37 is an enlarged cylinder 39from which the piston rod 40 extends axially rearwardly, see FIG. 4. Atthe outer end of the rod 40 is a vertical connecting member 41 designedto operate an elongated plate 42. The member 42 extends through a guideblock 43 mounted above the cylinder 39. Mounted at the front end of themember 42 are the pleat forming jaws illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Mounted on the front end of the member 42 is a transverse rectangularelongated holder 44. Extending from the center of the front edge of theholder 44 is a central rectangular plate or tongue member 45. Nowmounted in spaced parallel relation to the central tongue member 45 is aplate 46 forming a lower jaw and a plate 47 forming an upper jaw. Thefront ends of the jaws 46 and 47 are tapered towards each other at 48and meet at the outer end of the central member 45. The jaws 46 and 47are pivotally mounted at 49 in front of the supporting block 44. Now onthe upper surface of the supporting block 44 are a pair of spaced leafsprings 50 and mounted below the supporting member 44 are a pair ofspaced leaf springs 51. The leaf springs 50 and 51 are bowed inwardlytowards the jaws 46 and 47 and their outer free ends contact the jawsjust short of the end portions 48, see FIG. 4.

With the above construction the jaws 46 and 47 are resiliently retainedin the closed position shown in FIG. 4 by the leaf springs 50 and 51.Extending across the top of the upper spring 50 is a rod 52 whose endsextend beyond the side edges of the jaw as shown in FIG. 3. A similarrod 53 extends across the bottom jaw 46. The rods 52 and 53 are inspaced vertical position. A cylinder 54 is now mounted on each side ofthe block 43. Each cylinder 54 is provided with a forwardly extendingpiston 55 carrying a wedge 56 at its outer end designed to extendbetween the extending ends of the rods 52 and 53, see FIG. 2. Onoperation of the cylinders 54 the wedges 56 will move forwardly betweenthe rods 52 and 53 and spread them apart into the dotted line positionshown in FIG. 4. This will spread the jaws 46 and 47 into the dottedline position against the action of the springs 50 and 51. The cylinder39 and its piston 40 serve to move the jaws axially toward and away fromthe sewing machine plate 31. The front bevelled portions 48 of the jaws46 and 47 and the central dividing tongue 45 are provided with aplurality of spaced slots 57, see FIG. 3, for a purpose hereinafter tobe described.

Finally, the jaw assembly is provided with a C-shaped vertical support58 extending from one side edge of the block 43. Mounted on the upperend of the support 58 is an elongated sheet 59 having a portion 60 bentat right angles to form a flat feed surface. The portion 60 is mountedat a forwardly tapered angle so that its front end terminates just abovethe ends of the jaws, see FIG. 2. The back side edge ofthe flat portion60 is bent upwardly and inwardly to form a slotted section 61 whichforms a feed guide. The entire jaw assembly hereinabove described beingmounted on the supports 36 and 25 will swing on the pivot 24, see FIG.5, so that in one position, FIG. 6, it will be swung to the left awayfrom the front of the sewing machine and in a second position, Fig. 7,it will be swung to the right directly in alignment with the sewingmachine plate 31.

Now referring to FIG. 5, the horizontal support 25 is provided with anarrower vertical support 62 firmly bolted to it. The support 62 isprovided with a vertical section 63 and its upper end is bent at rightangles to form a horizontal supporting section 64. A lever arm 65 ispivoted at 66 to the horizontal portion 64. An air cylinder 67 ismounted on the vertical portion of the support at 63 and is providedwith a piston 68 pivotally attached to the lever 65 adjacent its outerend at 69. With this construction it is evident that reciprocation ofthe piston 68 will cause pivotal movement of the lever 65 around itspivot pin 66. A slack sizing rod 70 extends at right angles from the endof the lever 65 above and across the front of the sewing machine, seeFIG. 7. It should be noted that with the lever positioned as shown inFIG. 5, the rod 70 will be above the jaws.

Since it is necessary to allow for two separate spacing measurements ofpleats, the first pleat being closer to the edge than the distancebetween the pleats, the sizing rod 70 must be given two separatedownward motions. This is accomplished by the pair of cams andmicroswitches illustrated in FIG. 5. An adjustable cam 71 is mounted onthe lever 65 at the pivot pin 66 on one side of the lever and itsleading edge is designed to contact the microswitch 72 on its downwardstroke. This cam and microswitch are adjusted for the first measurementof the first pleat. Thereafter, the microswitch 72 is cut off and asecond microswitch 73 is activated. The second microswitch is behind andabove the lever 65. A second adjustable cam 74 is mounted on the otherside of the lever 65 and is designed to contact the microswitch 73 aftera more sweeping pivotal action of the lever 65. Thus by using twomicroswitches, the first microswitch causes the lever 65 to go down apredetermined amount before contacting the microswitch and causing thecylinder 63 to reverse the motion of the piston 68. Thereafter thesecond microswitch takes over and this one permits a more pronouncedpivot of the lever 65 to cause the rod 70 to move further downwardly.The purpose of this action will be more clearly hereinafter described.

Also mounted on the horizontal support 25 is a vertical supportingmember 75. Adjacent its upper end the member 75 supports a C-shapedmember having an elongated vertical portion 76 and short laterallyextending portions 77 at each end of the portions 76. A C-shaped member78 is pivotally mounted between the members 77 on a pivot bar 79. Acylinder 80 is horizontally attached to the pivoted member 78 with itspiston end tied to the fixed support 76. Thus, as can be seen in FIGS. 5and 6, movement of the piston inwardly and outwardly will cause pivotalmotion of the member 78 around the pivot bar. A three position dualcontrol cylinder 81 is mounted in alignment beneath the pivot point ofthe member 77 and the piston thereof extends upwardly around the bar 78at 82 carrying a block 83 and collar 84 at its upper end, see FIG. 2.Extending laterally from the collar and blocks 83 and 84 is an arm 85 ofgeneral C-shape. The open side of the arm 85 faces the jaws, the closedend facing towards the sewing machine.

With the above construction, pivotal movement of the member 78 caused bythe cylinder 80 and its attachment to the fixed member 77, will causepivotal movement of the arm 85 towards and away from the jaws.Simultaneously, operation of the cylinder 81 and its associated pistonwill cause vertical movement of the arm 85 in a manner hereinafter to bedescribed.

In addition to the foregoing structure, the supporting block 36, seeFIGS. 1 and 2, is provided with a laterally extending supporting plate86 extending in the direction of the sewing machine and beneath thejaws. Supported on the plate 86 is an angularly adjustable cylinder 87having an upwardly extending piston 88 on which a plurality of spacedvertical needles 89 are mounted. Now referring to FIG. 3, the spacing ofthe needles 89 correspond to a spacing of the slots 57 in the jaws 46and 47. Thus if the jaws are moved forwardly, right to left in FIG. 2,they will extend above the needles 89. Upward movement of the piston 88will push the needles 89 through the slots 57.

The various parts of the machine hereinabove described are all operatedby air cylinders controlled from a main line by solenoid valves.()peration of the solenoid valves are con-- trolled in their propertiming and sequence from any conven tional device such as a tapedsystem. The particular hookup for operating the device is illustrated inFIG. 18. However, it is best to first examine the sequence of operationas set forth in FIGS. 8 to 17 inclusive.

With the parts assembled as hereinabove described and the air pressureturned on, the jaws are in open position and withdrawn and the sewingclamp 30 and the associated needles 34 are in raised position at thesewing machine. Now assuming that it is desired to put a plurality ofpleats adjacent the edge of a piece of material with the pleatsapproximately five inches apart but the first and last pleat only threeinches from the adjacent edges. The operator places the material 90 onthe plate 60 with the edge beneath the guide 61. The operator now formsa fold at the forward edge of the material to provide a front seam andpulls the material forwardly along the guide 60 until its forward edgeis beneath the sewing machine needle 35. The operator now presses abutton and starts the sequence of operation. The sewing machine clamp 30descends to grip the material as shown in FIG. 8, the spring wire member32 also moving downwardly on top of the material to prevent wrinklingunder the sewing machine needle 35. The sizing rod 70 also movesdownwardly, see FIG. 8, and since the left end of the material 90 isclamped beneath the sewing machine clamp 30, a portion of material ispulled from the holding guide plate 60 downwardly as shown in thisfigure. This operation is caused by the movement of the piston 68pulling the lever 65 downwardly on its pivot 66. The smaller cam 71 willhit the microswitch 72 to limit the downward movement of the lever 65and the associated sizer arm 70 to the point where it pulls just enoughmaterial to form the first pleat 3 inches from the edge now clampedbeneath the sewing machine.

The cylinder 67 now reverses the movement of the piston 68 and the bar70 moves upwardly out of the way as shown in FIG. 9. Simultaneously thecylinder 81 now operates to move the portion 84 carrying the pleatforming stripper 85 downwardly until it is opposite the open jaws of thedevice. At this point the cylinder 80 operates to swing the holder 78 ina counterclockwise direction viewing FIG. 6 to move the member 85inwardly against the jaws carrying the material over and under thecentral tongue 45 as shown in FIG. 9 and forming a pleat. The wedges 56on each side of the jaws are now withdrawn allowing the springs 50 and51 to clamp the jaws on the pleat as shown in FIG. 10. Now the cylinder87 causes its piston 88 to move upwardly, and the needles 89 enter theslots 57 in the front portion of the jaws and pass through the pleatformed in the jaws as shown in FIG. 1 l.

The parts are now positioned with the front edge of the material foldedunder and clamped in the sewing machine a small segment of materialloose between the sewing machine and the jaws and a formed pleat in thejaws and held therein by the clamping action of the jaws and the needles89. The sewing cycle now begins. The sewing machine starts to sew thelead edge of the material, the plate 31 moving from right to left andback again, FIGS. 6 and 7, with a cam action to produce a straightstitch. Since the material is being carried back and forth beneath thesewing needle and shortly spaced from the needle a new pleat is firmlyheld within the jaws, it is necessary that the entire jaw unit be swungwith the sewing machine to follow the action under the needle. To thisend the unit swings on its pivot 24 in an are as illustrated in FIGS. 6and 7.

Now viewing FIG. 12, the sewing machine clamp 30 and its associatedmember 32 moves upwardly freeing the edge of the material 90. Thecylinder 80 now operates to turn the member 78 and move the pleater 85out from the jaws and the cylinder 81 moves the pleater upwardly out ofthe way. With the parts positioned as shown in FIG. 12, the pleater 85now moves downwardly into the slack of material 90 and strips the end ofthe material from beneath the sewing machine until it drops downwardlyhanging from between the jaws. The stripper 85 now moves back upwardlyand out of the way. Now viewing FIG. 13, the needles 89 pull downwardlyout of the jaws and the pleat 91 which is clamped between the ends ofthe jaws and held therein by the action of the springs 50 and 51. Theedge of the material, now finished, hangs downwardly.

The jaws now move forwardly and move the pleat 91 beneath the sewingmachine clamp. The clamp 30 moves downwardly and grips the pleat 91 andthe needles 34 also move downwardly and pierce the pleat 91 to retain itin locked position. As shown in FIG. 14, the jaws now pull towards theright and the clamp 30 and needles 34 serve to strip the pleat 91 frombetween the jaws. The jaws move back to their original position and areimmediately opened up as shown in FIg. 14. In this position, instead ofthe forward edge, a completed pleat 91 is now positioned beneath thesewing machine needle 35. It is locked in place not only by the clamp 30but by the needles 34 passing through them. The jaws meanwhile are backin the original position shown in FIG. 8.

Now the cylinder 67 is again activated pulling the piston 68 downwardly,see Flg. 5, and causing the lever 65 to pivot downwardly. The sizing rod70 now pulls the material downwardly as shown in FIG. 15. However, sincethe pleat 91 is firmly grasped beneath the sewing machine clamp 30 andthe needles 34, the material must be pulled from the feed plate 60. Asmentioned hereinabove, the spacing between the pleats is usuallygreater, approximately five inches, than the distance from the edge ofthe material to the first plate. So now the microswitch 72 isde-activated and the microswitch 73 has been activated. This permits thelever 65 to swing downwardly until the cam 74 contacts the microswitch73. A comparison of FIGS. 8 and clearly indicates that now the sizer rod70 moves further downwardly pulling more material from the feeding plate60 than in the previous operation.

Similarly, the next operation shown in Flg. 16 is similar to that shownin FIG. 9. The sizing rod 70 has been raised out of the way and thepleat forming device has moved downwardly and inwardly pushing thematerial between the jaws. The jaws now close on the pleat and theneedles 89 move upwardly into the jaws as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and11. We now have a new pleat formed in the jaws and held therein by theclamping action of the jaws and the needles 89 and the previously formedpleat positioned in the sewing machine beneath the clamp 30 and with theneedles 34 therethrough. Now the needles 34 are withdrawn from thepleats in the sewing machine and the sewing cycle begins again.

The sewing machine sews the pleat 91 swinging it backwardly andforwardly with the assembly following it as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Atthe completion of the second sewing cycle the clamp 31 lifts and thepleat forming stripper bar 85 now moves downwardly as shown in FIG. 17and pulls the finished pleat 91 from the machine, the new pleat 92 beingheld in the jaws by the action of the jaws and the needles 89. Thisreturns the material and the mechanism to the condition shown in FIG.12. The only difference being that there is a completed pleat adjacentthe edge of the material now hanging downwardly from the jaws.

The cycle now begins again with the needles 89 being withdrawn as shownin FIG. 13 and the second pleat 92 being fed under the machine as shownin FIG. 14. From this point on the sizing rod 70 will move its maximumdistance controlled by the cam 74 and microswitch 73. Now when the lastpleat has been sewed on the material the machine will be swung to theleft position shown in FIG. 6 clearing the front of the sewing machine.The operator now manually folds the edge of the material and places itbeneath the sewing machine needle. The operator now presses the buttonor foot pedal and the machine goes through a sewing cycle. At the end ofthis sewing cycle the machine will then swing to the right as shown inFIG. 7 ready for the first operation again.

It is thus obvious that the operator must fold the leading edge of thematerial and place it on the machine to start the operation and mustthen fold the back edge of the material and place it under the needlefor the final sewing operation. In between these manual handlings themachine will automatically form and sew the pleats in proper spacedposition along the cloth. Depending on the length of the cloth, thedevice can be programmed for any number of desired pleats. Also, bychanging the position of the earns 66 and 74 on the sizing lever, theamount of material pulled downwardly by the rod 70 can be varied to varythe distance not only between the pleats but the distance from the edgeof the material to the first pleat.

It should also be noted that to prevent any chance of a mishap in apleat pulling out from the jaws or from beneath the machine, the needles34 which lock it beneath the sewing machine and the needles 89 whichlock it in the jaws are always in position in the pleat when either thesizing rod 70 is pulling downwardly on the material or the pleat formingstripper 85 is moving downwardly on the material FIGS. 15 and 16illustrate this The parts are all air operated and solenoid valves areused to perform the necessary operations. These solenoid valves can beprogrammed by any conventional electronic device, not shown. Theapplicants prefer to use a tape type programming device so that programchanges can be made by merely changing the tape in the programmingdevice.

Where there is no back pressure on the operation, the cylinder can beoperated by a single line of compressed air and use a spring loadedreturn when the air is cut off. Where work must be performed in bothdirections, the cylinder is provided with two lines so that compressedair-can be used to move in both directions. The power hookup for theabove operations is illustrated in FIg. 18. This figure illustrates thecompressed air line hookup to each of the operating cylinders and theircontrol solenoid valves. The main air line 93 is preferably a shop airline of between 80 and PSI, the line being equipped with theconventional filters, pressure regulators, etc. When the air is put onthe system, the entire system becomes pressurized so that when thestarting button 94 is pressed the corresponding solenoid controlledvalve 94a opens the exhaust line and prepares the system for operation.

At the start the jaws 45, 46 and 47 are in open position because thesolenoid controlled valve 45a has transmitted pressure through line 95to the cylinders 54. At this point the sizer rod 70 at the end of thelever 65 has been raised by the cylinder 67 which is operated in bothdirections by the lines 96 controlled by valve 78. Also, the pleater arm85 is in raised position due to the pressure on the cylinder 81 throughline 97 and valve 85a. At the first operation the sewing machine clamp30 is moved downwardly by the cylinder 98 through pressure line 99controlled through valve 30a. At this time the needles 34 do not comedown. However, as hereinabove described, during the later operation ofthe cycle the needles 34 will now come down to pierce the pleat placedbeneath the clamp. The needles 34 are operated from a cylinder 100 andpair of power lines 101 and the valve control 340. After the sizer 70has been moved up and down by the cylinder 67 to produce the slot in thecloth illustrated in FIGS. 8 and IS, the pleater 85 is moved downwardlyin the cylinder 81 by opening the pressure on line 97 and allowing theline pressure in line 102 to push the piston downwardly until itcontacts the inner piston 103 which is held in its raised position bypressure through the line 104 from valve 851;. The pleater must now beturned inwardly to form the pleat. This is accomplished by cylinder 80pressurized through lines 105 from valve 80a.

The jaws 45, 46 and 47 are now closed by relieving the pressure from thecylinder 54 which allows a spring return of the wedge. The needles 89are now pushed upwardly by the pressure in the cylinder 88 through lines106 from valve 890. Axial movement of the jaws is controlled by thecylinder 39 piston 40 and the rod 42. Pressure to the cylinder 39 iscontrolled through lines 107 to valve 39a. Radial movement of the systemis controlled by two cylinders 108 and 109, cylinder 108 controlled byvalve 108a and 109 controlled by valve 109a. Cylinder 108 is for tackingthe first edge and cylinder 109 is for the operating run of the pleats.

Now returning to the operating cycle, after the sewing machine hascompleted its work, the valve 80a operates to turn the pleater out ofthe jaws and pressure is applied to raise the pleater 85 out of the way.The sewing machine clamp 30 is lifted by removing the pressure from line99 and allowing the spring to return it into raised position. Thepleater 85 is now allowed to move to the bottom of the cylinder 81 byremoving the air pressure from lines 97 and 104. This strips the workfrom under the sewing machine. The pleater is now moved to the top againby the cylinder 81 by again pressurizing lines 97 and 104. The needles89 are now withdrawn from the next set of pleats by the cylinder 88 andthe jaws 45-6-7 are moved forwardly by the cylinder 39 to the sewingmachine clamp. The clamp 30 and needles 34 are now moved downwardly onthe line pressure and the jaws 45-6-7 are withdrawn. The jaws are nowopened by movement of the cylinder 54.

The cycle is now repeated for forming the new pleat with the clamp 30and needles 34 remaining in their downward position to hold thepreviously formed pleat in the machine. After the formation of the newpleat, the needles 34 are raised by the cylinder 100 and the sewingoperation begins. Thus, all parts of the machine are designed to operateunder a compressed air line controlled by a series of solenoidcontrolled valves. The sequence and timing of the operation is simple tocontrol since all that it requires is a proper sequential timing of thefiring of the solenoid valves. This can be accomplished in distancesfrom the various parts are comparatively short and the machine will passthrough its cycle at fairly constant speed. The size and spacing of thepleats have been adjusted and predetermined in the machine before it isstarted. While there are of necessity many parts to the device, theassembly is fairly simple and not particularly complex. The operation issure and there are no misses because of the use of the needles 34 and 89which positively lock the pleats in position against accidental removalduring the time when the cloth is being pulled. The result is that themachine can be operated by unskilled and virtually untrained operators.Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to aperson skilled in the art.

We claim:

I. A device for automatically forming and sewing a plurality of spacedpleats of a piece of textile material comprising a table, a sewingmachine mounted on said table at right angles to the front edge, asupport pivotally mounted on said table below said sewing machine andextending horizontally from said table, a guide plate mounted on saidsupport for guiding a piece of textile material toward said sewingmachine, means on said support below said guide plate for forming apleat in the textile material, means for axially moving said pleatforming means to said sewing machine to position the pleat beneath thesewing needle, means on said sewing machine for clamping onto the pleatand for stripping the pleat from said forming means on withdrawal ofsaid forming means from said sewing machine, means on said support forpulling a slack of material from said guide plate while said material isheld by said clamping means, said pleat forming means forming a secondpleat from the slack, and means on said sewing machine for moving saidclamping means and pleat beneath the sewing needle during the sewingoperation of said sewing machine.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein means are mounted on said support forreleasably locking the pleat in said pleat forming means.

3. A device as in claim 1, wherein means are mounted on said sewingmachine for releasably locking the pleat beneath said sewing machineclamping means.

4. A device as in claim 1, wherein means are mounted on said table forpivoting said support during the sewing operation to align with themovement of said clamping means.

5. A device as in claim 1, wherein said slack pulling means isadjustable to pull less slack on the first pleat and more slack on thesucceeding pleats in the same sequence.

6. A device as in claim 1, wherein said pleat forming means includes anelongated strip mounted for axial sliding movement toward and away fromsaid sewing machine, a supporting block mounted on the front end of saidstrip, a flat rectangular plate extends from said block in alignmentwith said strip, said plate forming a central tongue, a flat rectangularjaw member pivotally mounted on spaced relation on each side of saidtongue, said pivot mountings being at the rear edge of each jaw adjacentsaid block, a pair of spaced bowed leaf springs mounted on the upper andlower sides of said block and extending forwardly in contact with saidjaws to resiliently bias said jaws toward each other and toward the saidcentral tongue into closed position, and means for spreading said jawsinto open position against the pressure of said leaf springs.

7. A device as in claim 6, wherein said spreading means comprises a rodmounted transversely across each of said jaws, the ends of said rodsextending beyond the edges of said jaws, a wedge mounted on each side ofsaid jaws and adapted to enter between said extended portions of saidrods to spread said jaws, and means for actuating said wedges.

8. A device as in claim 1, wherein said pleat forming means includes aC-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaft mounted insaid member, a block slidable in said shaft, means for moving said blockon said shaft, means for pivotally turning said member and block, and aC-shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, said arm pushingthe slack material into said pleat forming means on turning movement ofsaid block.

9. A device as in claim 1, wherein said slack pulling means comprises alever pivotally mounted on said support, a slack forming rod extendinghorizontally from one end of said lever, means for reciprocating saidlever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocating means, and anadjustable cam on said lever for tripping said microswitch.

10. A device as in claim 9, wherein said lever is provided with a secondcam, a second microswitch on said support, said second cam adapted totrip said second microswitch to provide for different reciprocatingmovements of said lever and slack rod.

11. A device as in claim 1, including control means for the elements ofsaid device comprising individually operated air cylinders and pistonsunder air pressure, a solenoid controlled valve, a second microswitch onsaid support, said second cam.

12. A device as in claim 2, wherein said releasable locking meanscomprises a supporting block, a plurality of needles extending upwardlyfrom said block, and means for vertically reciprocating said block intosaid pleat forming means to pass said needles through the pleat toreleasably lock the pleat in said pleat forming means.

13. A device as in claim 3, wherein said releasable locking meanscomprises a block mounted on said sewing machine, a plurality of needlesdepending from said block, and means for vertically reciprocating saidblock to pass said needles through said clamp and into the pleat toreleasably lock the pleat under said clamp means.

14. A device as in claim 2, wherein means are mounted on said sewingmachine for releasably locking the pleat beneath said sewing machineclamping means.

15. A device as in claim 14, wherein means are mounted on said table forpivoting said support during the sewing operation to align with themovement ofsaid clamping means,

16. A device as in claim 14, wherein said slack pulling means isadjustable to pull less slack on the first pleat and more slack on thesucceeding pleats in the same sequence.

17. A device as in claim 15, wherein said slack pulling means isadjustable to pull less slack on the first pleat and more slack on thesucceeding pleats in the same sequence.

18. A device as in claim 6, wherein the front edges of said jaws andtongue are provided with slots, and means are mounted on said supportfor releasably locking the pleat in said pleat forming means throughsaid slots.

19. A device as in claim 7, wherein the front edges of said jaws andtongue are provided with slots, and means are mounted on said supportfor releasably locking the pleat in said pleat forming means throughsaid slots.

20. A device as in claim 19, wherein means are mounted on said sewingmachine for releasably locking the pleat beneath said sewing machineclamping means.

21. A device as in claim 6, wherein said pleat forming means alsoincludes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaftmounted in said member, a block slidable in said shaft, means for movingsaid block on said shaft, means for pivotally turning said member andblock, and a C-shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, saidarm pushing the slack material into said pleat forming means on turningmovement ofsaid block.

22. A device as in claim 7, wherein said pleat forming means alsoincludes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaftmounted in said member, a block slidable on said shaft, means for movingsaid block on said shaft, means for pivotally turning said member andblock, and a C-shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, saidarm pushing the slack material into said pleat forming means on turningmovement of said block.

23. A device as in claim 18, wherein said pleat forming means alsoincludes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaftmounted in said member, a block slidable on said shaft, means for movingsaid block on said shaft, means for pivotally turning said member andblock, and a C- shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, saidarm pushing the slack material into said pleat forming means on turningmovement ofsaid block.

24. A device as in claim 19, wherein said pleat forming means alsoincludes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaftmounted in said member, a block slidable on said shaft, means for movingsaid block on said shaft, means for pivotally turning said member andblock, and a C- shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, saidarm pushing the slack material into said pleat forming means on turningmovement of said block.

25. A device as in claim 6, wherein said slack pulling means comprises alever pivotally mounted on said support, a slack forming rod extendinghorizontally from one end of said lever, means for reciprocating saidlever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocating means, and anadjustable cam on said lever for tripping said microswitch.

26. A device as in claim 7, wherein said slack pulling means comprises alever pivotally mounted on said support, a slack forming rod extendinghorizontally from one end of said lever, means for reciprocating saidlever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocating means, and anadjustable cam on said lever for tripping said microswitch.

27. A device as in claim 21, wherein said slack pulling means comprisesa lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slack forming rod extendinghorizontally from one end of said lever, means for reciprocating saidlever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocating means, and anadjustable cam on said lever for tripping said microswitch.

28. A device as in claim 22, wherein said slack pulling means comprisesa lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slack forming rod extendinghorizontally from one end of said lever, means for reciprocating saidlever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocating means, and anadjustable cam on said lever for tripping said microswitch.

29. A device as in claim 24, wherein said slack pulling means comprisesa lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slack forming rod extendinghorizontally from one end of said lever, means for reciprocating saidlever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocating means, and anadjustable cam on said lever for tripping said microswitch.

30. A device as in claim 29, wherein said lever is provided with asecond cam, a second microswitch on said support, said second camadapted to trip said second microswitch to provide for differentreciprocating movements of said lever and slack rod.

31. A device as in claim 29, wherein said releasable locking meanscomprises a supporting block, a plurality of needles extending upwardlyfrom said block, and means for vertically reciprocating said block intosaid pleat forming means to pass said needles through the pleat toreleasably lock the pleat in said pleat forming means.

32. A device as in claim 20, wherein said releasable locking meanscomprises a block mounted on said sewing machine, a plurality of needlesdepending from said block, and means for vertically reciprocating saidblock to pass said needles through said clamp and into the pleat toreleasably lock the pleat under said clamp means.

33. A device as in claim 32, wherein said pleat forming means includes aC-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaft mounted insaid member, a block slidable on said shaft, means for moving said blockon said shaft, means for pivotally turning said member and block, and aC-shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, said arm pushingthe slack material into said pleat forming means on turning movement ofsaid block.

34. A device as in claim 33, wherein said slack pulling means comprisesa lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slack forming rod extendinghorizontally from one end of said lever, means for reciprocating saidlever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocating means, and anadjustable cam on said lever for tripping said microswitch.

35. A device as in claim 34, wherein said lever is provided with asecond cam, a second microswitch on said support, said second camadapted to trip said second microswitch to provide for differentreciprocating movements of said lever and slack rod.

l ii I t

1. A device for automatically forming and sewing a plurality of spacedpleats of a piece of textile material comprising a table, a sewingmachine mounted on said table at right angles to the front edge, asupport pivotally mounted on said table below said sewing machine andextending horizontally from said table, a guide plate mounted on saidsupport for guiding a piece of textile material toward said sewingmachine, means on said support below said guide plate for forming apleat in the textile material, means for axially moving said pleatforming means to said sewing machine to position the pleat beneath thesewing needle, means on said sewing machine for clamping onto the pleatand for stripping the pleat from said forming means on withdrawal ofsaid forming means from said sewing machine, means on said support forpulling a slack of material from said guide plate while said material isheld by said clamping means, said pleat forming means forming a secondpleat from the slack, and means on said sewing machine for moving saidclamping means and pleat beneath the sewing needle during the sewingoperation of said sewing machine.
 2. A device as in claim 1, whereinmeans are mounted on said support for releasably locking the pleat insaid pleat forming means.
 3. A device as in claim 1, wherein means aremounted on said sewing machine for releasably locking the pleat beneathsaid sewing machine clamping means.
 4. A device as in claim 1, whereinmeans are mounted on said table for pivoting said support during thesewing operation to align with the movement of said clamping means.
 5. Adevice as in claim 1, wherein said slack pulling means is adjustable topull less slack on the first pleat and more slack on the succeedingpleats in the same sequence.
 6. A device as in claim 1, wherein saidpleat forming means includes an elongated strip mounted for axialsliding movement toward and away from said sewing machine, a supportingblock mounted on the front end of said strip, a flat rectangular plateextends from said block in alignment with said strip, said plate forminga central tongue, a flat rectangular jaw member pivotally mounted onspaced relation on each side of said tongue, said pivot mountings beingat the rear edge of each jaw adjacent said block, a pair of spaced bowedleaf springs mounted on the upper and lower sides of said block andextending forwardly in contact with saiD jaws to resiliently bias saidjaws toward each other and toward the said central tongue into closedposition, and means for spreading said jaws into open position againstthe pressure of said leaf springs.
 7. A device as in claim 6, whereinsaid spreading means comprises a rod mounted transversely across each ofsaid jaws, the ends of said rods extending beyond the edges of saidjaws, a wedge mounted on each side of said jaws and adapted to enterbetween said extended portions of said rods to spread said jaws, andmeans for actuating said wedges.
 8. A device as in claim 1, wherein saidpleat forming means includes a C-shaped member mounted on said support,a vertical shaft mounted in said member, a block slidable in said shaft,means for moving said block on said shaft, means for pivotally turningsaid member and block, and a C-shaped arm extending horizontally fromsaid block, said arm pushing the slack material into said pleat formingmeans on turning movement of said block.
 9. A device as in claim 1,wherein said slack pulling means comprises a lever pivotally mounted onsaid support, a slack forming rod extending horizontally from one end ofsaid lever, means for reciprocating said lever, a microswitch forreversing said reciprocating means, and an adjustable cam on said leverfor tripping said microswitch.
 10. A device as in claim 9, wherein saidlever is provided with a second cam, a second microswitch on saidsupport, said second cam adapted to trip said second microswitch toprovide for different reciprocating movements of said lever and slackrod.
 11. A device as in claim 1, including control means for theelements of said device comprising individually operated air cylindersand pistons under air pressure, a solenoid controlled valve, a secondmicroswitch on said support, said second cam.
 12. A device as in claim2, wherein said releasable locking means comprises a supporting block, aplurality of needles extending upwardly from said block, and means forvertically reciprocating said block into said pleat forming means topass said needles through the pleat to releasably lock the pleat in saidpleat forming means.
 13. A device as in claim 3, wherein said releasablelocking means comprises a block mounted on said sewing machine, aplurality of needles depending from said block, and means for verticallyreciprocating said block to pass said needles through said clamp andinto the pleat to releasably lock the pleat under said clamp means. 14.A device as in claim 2, wherein means are mounted on said sewing machinefor releasably locking the pleat beneath said sewing machine clampingmeans.
 15. A device as in claim 14, wherein means are mounted on saidtable for pivoting said support during the sewing operation to alignwith the movement of said clamping means.
 16. A device as in claim 14,wherein said slack pulling means is adjustable to pull less slack on thefirst pleat and more slack on the succeeding pleats in the samesequence.
 17. A device as in claim 15, wherein said slack pulling meansis adjustable to pull less slack on the first pleat and more slack onthe succeeding pleats in the same sequence.
 18. A device as in claim 6,wherein the front edges of said jaws and tongue are provided with slots,and means are mounted on said support for releasably locking the pleatin said pleat forming means through said slots.
 19. A device as in claim7, wherein the front edges of said jaws and tongue are provided withslots, and means are mounted on said support for releasably locking thepleat in said pleat forming means through said slots.
 20. A device as inclaim 19, wherein means are mounted on said sewing machine forreleasably locking the pleat beneath said sewing machine clamping means.21. A device as in claim 6, wherein said pleat forming means alsoincludes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaftmounted in said member, a block slidable in said shaft, means for movingsaid block on said shaft, meanS for pivotally turning said member andblock, and a C-shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, saidarm pushing the slack material into said pleat forming means on turningmovement of said block.
 22. A device as in claim 7, wherein said pleatforming means also includes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, avertical shaft mounted in said member, a block slidable on said shaft,means for moving said block on said shaft, means for pivotally turningsaid member and block, and a C-shaped arm extending horizontally fromsaid block, said arm pushing the slack material into said pleat formingmeans on turning movement of said block.
 23. A device as in claim 18,wherein said pleat forming means also includes a C-shaped member mountedon said support, a vertical shaft mounted in said member, a blockslidable on said shaft, means for moving said block on said shaft, meansfor pivotally turning said member and block, and a C-shaped armextending horizontally from said block, said arm pushing the slackmaterial into said pleat forming means on turning movement of saidblock.
 24. A device as in claim 19, wherein said pleat forming meansalso includes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, a verticalshaft mounted in said member, a block slidable on said shaft, means formoving said block on said shaft, means for pivotally turning said memberand block, and a C-shaped arm extending horizontally from said block,said arm pushing the slack material into said pleat forming means onturning movement of said block.
 25. A device as in claim 6, wherein saidslack pulling means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said support,a slack forming rod extending horizontally from one end of said lever,means for reciprocating said lever, a microswitch for reversing saidreciprocating means, and an adjustable cam on said lever for trippingsaid microswitch.
 26. A device as in claim 7, wherein said slack pullingmeans comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slackforming rod extending horizontally from one end of said lever, means forreciprocating said lever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocatingmeans, and an adjustable cam on said lever for tripping saidmicroswitch.
 27. A device as in claim 21, wherein said slack pullingmeans comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slackforming rod extending horizontally from one end of said lever, means forreciprocating said lever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocatingmeans, and an adjustable cam on said lever for tripping saidmicroswitch.
 28. A device as in claim 22, wherein said slack pullingmeans comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slackforming rod extending horizontally from one end of said lever, means forreciprocating said lever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocatingmeans, and an adjustable cam on said lever for tripping saidmicroswitch.
 29. A device as in claim 24, wherein said slack pullingmeans comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said support, a slackforming rod extending horizontally from one end of said lever, means forreciprocating said lever, a microswitch for reversing said reciprocatingmeans, and an adjustable cam on said lever for tripping saidmicroswitch.
 30. A device as in claim 29, wherein said lever is providedwith a second cam, a second microswitch on said support, said second camadapted to trip said second microswitch to provide for differentreciprocating movements of said lever and slack rod.
 31. A device as inclaim 29, wherein said releasable locking means comprises a supportingblock, a plurality of needles extending upwardly from said block, andmeans for vertically reciprocating said block into said pleat formingmeans to pass said needles through the pleat to releasably lock thepleat in said pleat forming means.
 32. A device as in claim 20, whereinsaid releasable locking means comprises a block mounted on said sewingmachine, a plurality of needles depending from said bLock, and means forvertically reciprocating said block to pass said needles through saidclamp and into the pleat to releasably lock the pleat under said clampmeans.
 33. A device as in claim 32, wherein said pleat forming meansincludes a C-shaped member mounted on said support, a vertical shaftmounted in said member, a block slidable on said shaft, means for movingsaid block on said shaft, means for pivotally turning said member andblock, and a C-shaped arm extending horizontally from said block, saidarm pushing the slack material into said pleat forming means on turningmovement of said block.
 34. A device as in claim 33, wherein said slackpulling means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said support, aslack forming rod extending horizontally from one end of said lever,means for reciprocating said lever, a microswitch for reversing saidreciprocating means, and an adjustable cam on said lever for trippingsaid microswitch.
 35. A device as in claim 34, wherein said lever isprovided with a second cam, a second microswitch on said support, saidsecond cam adapted to trip said second microswitch to provide fordifferent reciprocating movements of said lever and slack rod.